TEF Canada Score 699 vs Ancien Score Which One for Express Entry

You studied for months, sat through the exam, waited for the official result, and then opened a certificate that somehow created a new problem.

Instead of one clear set of numbers, the TEF Canada certificate can show two different score columns. One may say `Score /699`. Another may say `ancien score`.

For Express Entry, this is not a small detail. Entering the wrong score format in your IRCC profile can give an incorrect language result, affect your CRS calculation, or create confusion later in your permanent residence file.

The short answer is simple:

For Express Entry, use the ancien score values from your TEF Canada certificate when entering your language test scores into the IRCC system.

That is the grid IRCC is built to read. The newer `/699` score may appear official, and it is part of the certificate, but it is not the score format Express Entry asks you to enter.

The certificate can look official and still be easy to misread.

Why the TEF Canada certificate causes so much confusion

The confusion comes from the way the certificate displays results.

Many candidates expect one skill, one score, one clear place to copy from. Instead, the document can show a modern harmonised score and an older score scale side by side.

At first glance, `Score /699` looks like the main result. It appears standardised. It is also easy to assume that a higher maximum score must be the score Canada wants.

That assumption is where the trap begins.

The Express Entry system does not simply ask, “What was your total TEF score?” It asks for language results by skill:

• Reading

• Listening

• Writing

• Speaking

  
  

IRCC then converts those results into Canadian Language Benchmark levels, usually called CLB in English and NCLC in French.

For TEF Canada, the values IRCC uses are tied to the older scoring grid. On that grid:

TEF Canada skill	Ancien score maximum used for IRCC entry
Reading comprehension	300
Listening comprehension	360
Written expression	450
Oral expression	450

So if the certificate shows both `Score /699` and `ancien score`, the column that matches the IRCC entry format is the ancien score column.

This is the core of the TEF Canada score /699 vs ancien score issue. The certificate reflects a newer scoring presentation, while IRCC’s Express Entry input system still depends on the older scale.

Which TEF score should go into Express Entry

For an Express Entry profile, enter the ancien score for each TEF Canada skill.

Do not enter the `/699` score into the Express Entry fields.

A safe way to think about it is this:

If the certificate shows	What it means for Express Entry
`Score /699`	A harmonised score shown on the certificate
`Ancien score`	The score format IRCC expects for TEF Canada entry
NCLC level	The benchmark level linked to your French ability
Certificate number	A separate identifier, not a language skill score

The Express Entry profile is not asking you to redesign the certificate. It is asking you to report the results in the format IRCC uses to calculate language points.

That means you should copy the ancient score values skill by skill, not the `/699` values.

For example, if the certificate lists reading with a `Score /699` value and also shows an `ancien score` out of 300, the reading field in Express Entry should receive the value from the `ancien score` column.

The same logic applies to listening, writing, and speaking.

Why IRCC still uses the older score grid

The reason is largely administrative.

Language tests change over time. Testing bodies update formats, scoring systems, and certificates. Immigration systems do not always change at the same pace.

IRCC’s system was built around the older TEF Canada grid. That grid uses different maximum scores depending on the skill:

• Reading is out of 300

• Listening is out of 360

• Writing is out of 450

• Speaking is out of 450

  
  

When the TEF certificate moved to a harmonised `/699` style score, the older grid did not disappear from the immigration process. The certificate kept both sets of numbers so institutions that still rely on the legacy scale, including IRCC, could continue using it.

That is why the phrase `ancien score` matters so much. It may look secondary, but for Express Entry it is the operational score.

In plain terms, IRCC’s online profile is not reading the certificate the way a candidate might read it. It is reading the numbers through its own established conversion tables.

Two score columns can create one very practical filing risk.

How to read the TEF Canada certificate without mixing the numbers

The easiest method is to ignore the total impression of the page and read it skill by skill.

Do not start with the largest number. Do not start with the column that looks newer. Start with the four skills IRCC asks for.

Step 1. Find the four TEF Canada skills

Look for the sections linked to:

• Compréhension écrite

• Compréhension orale

• Expression écrite

• Expression orale

  
  

These correspond to reading, listening, writing, and speaking.

Step 2. Locate the ancien score beside each skill

For each of those four skills, find the value in the `ancien score` column.

This is the score to enter into Express Entry.

The maximum score beside it may help confirm that you are looking at the correct grid:

French label	English skill	Correct maximum on ancien score grid
Compréhension écrite	Reading	300
Compréhension orale	Listening	360
Expression écrite	Writing	450
Expression orale	Speaking	450

If the number you are copying sits on a `/699` scale, pause. That is likely not the field Express Entry wants.

Step 3. Match each score to the correct Express Entry field

This is where many clerical mistakes happen.

Reading must go into reading. Listening must go into listening. Writing must go into writing. Speaking must go into speaking.

It sounds obvious, but bilingual labels, multiple columns, and exam-day stress can lead to copy-paste errors.

A common risk is mixing up:

• `Compréhension écrite` and `Expression écrite`

• `Compréhension orale` and `Expression orale`

  
  

The first pair relates to reading and writing. The second pair relates to listening and speaking.

Step 4. Check whether the NCLC result makes sense

Your certificate may also show an NCLC level. IRCC uses these benchmark levels to award points, but the Express Entry form still relies on the correct skill scores being entered.

Once you enter the ancien scores, check whether the resulting benchmark level in your profile looks consistent with your certificate.

If something seems off, do not submit in a hurry. Recheck the score scale and the skill labels.

A simple example of the right way to enter the scores

Imagine a candidate receives a TEF Canada certificate with two score columns.

For reading, the certificate shows:

• `Score /699`

• `Ancien score /300`

  
  

For Express Entry, the candidate should enter the reading value from the `ancien score /300` line.

The same pattern repeats across all four skills:

Skill	Use this score for Express Entry
Reading	Ancien score out of 300
Listening	Ancien score out of 360
Writing	Ancien score out of 450
Speaking	Ancien score out of 450

The `/699` score is not the number to type into the Express Entry TEF fields.

This is why a candidate can have a valid TEF Canada certificate and still make a serious filing mistake. The issue is not language ability. It is document interpretation.

Reading, listening, writing, and speaking must be matched one by one.

The most common mistakes with TEF scores in Express Entry

Several errors appear again and again when candidates transfer TEF results into IRCC forms.

Copying the score from the wrong column

This is the main error.

The `/699` score may look like the main score, but Express Entry uses the older grid. Copying the harmonised score can create a mismatch with IRCC’s expected score ranges.

Entering a total instead of skill scores

Express Entry does not need one combined TEF result. It needs separate results for each ability.

A strong total score cannot replace the four skill entries.

Mixing English and French test logic

Candidates who have taken IELTS, CELPIP, or another language test may expect all tests to follow the same entry pattern.

TEF Canada uses its own score ranges. Do not try to compare the raw TEF number directly with IELTS bands or CELPIP levels. IRCC handles the conversion through recognised benchmark tables.

Confusing NCLC with raw scores

NCLC levels are vital because they affect CRS points and programme eligibility. But if the Express Entry form asks for TEF scores, enter the score values in the required format, not just the NCLC number.

The score and the benchmark are connected, but they are not the same field.

Rushing because the result is good

This is the most frustrating mistake. A candidate gets the score needed for a stronger CRS profile, then enters the result carelessly.

A good score still has to be filed correctly.

Why this matters for CRS and permanent residence

Language results can have a major effect on an Express Entry profile.

French test results may affect:

• Core language points

• Second official language points

• French-language bonus points

• Eligibility under certain programme criteria

• Competitiveness within the pool

  
  

That is why a clerical error deserves serious attention. The language result is not just a certificate attached at the end. It is part of the calculation that decides whether a profile is accurate and competitive.

If the wrong score format is entered, the profile may reflect the wrong benchmark level. That can distort the CRS score.

Even if the mistake is accidental, immigration forms depend on precision. The safest approach is to enter the correct values from the start and keep a clear copy of the certificate for reference.

This article is for general information only. For personal immigration advice, consult a qualified immigration professional.

A quick checklist before submitting your TEF Canada results

Before saving your Express Entry language section, review the certificate slowly.

Use this checklist:

• Confirm the test type is TEF Canada.

• Confirm the test date is correct.

• Confirm the certificate or attestation number is entered accurately.

• Use the `ancien score` column for all four skills.

• Match each French skill label to the correct English field.

• Check that reading is out of 300.

• Check that listening is out of 360.

• Check that writing is out of 450.

• Check that speaking is out of 450.

• Compare the resulting benchmark levels with the certificate.

• Keep a clean digital copy of the full certificate.

  
  

This process takes a few extra minutes, but it can prevent a filing problem that would take far longer to fix.

Where careful preparation makes the difference

TEF Canada preparation is not only about grammar, vocabulary, and exam technique. Those matter, of course. But for immigration candidates, the final administrative step matters too.

A candidate can prepare well, perform well, and still lose time because of a preventable paperwork error.

That is why proper guidance should cover both sides of the process:

Language preparation	Administrative accuracy
Building vocabulary for TEF tasks	Reading the certificate correctly
Practising oral and written production	Matching scores to IRCC fields
Improving comprehension speed	Avoiding wrong-column entries
Understanding NCLC goals	Checking the final profile before submission

At Maple Online Academy, the L'Évolution approach treats the test result as more than a number. The goal is to help candidates become linguistically ready and administratively careful when the certificate arrives.

That final step is not glamorous. It is simply necessary.

A careful final review can protect months of preparation.

The takeaway

For Express Entry, do not let the `/699` column distract you.

When your TEF Canada certificate shows both `Score /699` and `ancien score`, use the ancien score values for IRCC entry:

• Reading out of 300

• Listening out of 360

• Writing out of 450

• Speaking out of 450

  
  

The certificate format may be confusing, but the filing rule is clear. Read the four skills, use the older score grid, and enter each number in the correct Express Entry field.

A strong result deserves careful submission. One wrong column should not be allowed to weaken a permanent residence profile.